Coping With Disruption/Dissolution

The vast majority adoptions are successful. Unfortunately, some adoptions do end in disruption or dissolution. "Disruption" refers to the circumstance that occurs when an adoption process is stopped after the child is placed in an adoptive home but before the adoption is finalized legally. The term "dissolution" describes an adoption that ends after legal finalization. In both cases, the child returns to or enters foster care or placement with new adoptive parents. In this section, find resources for families to help them cope if disruption or dissolution occurs.

Adoption Disruption (PDF - 49 KB)
MN Adopt, Minnesota Department of Human Services
Provides steps adoptive parents and caseworkers can take to prevent a disruption as well as strategies for parents and children after they have experienced a disruption.

This factsheet reports statistics about adoption disruption (before finalization of the placement) and dissolution (after legal finalization). Differences in disruption rates by age of the child and placement history, reasons why disruption and dissolution occur, and disruption and dissolution trends are noted.

Disruption and Dissolution: Unspoken Losses (PDF - 500 KB)
Macrae & Anderson (2004)
Discusses considerations of letting an adoption go, including support services, workshops, counseling, and the emotional impact on the adoptive parents, child, and family. Therapeutic parenting of the postdisruption child and therapy for the postdisruption family are discussed, a mother's story is provided, and techniques for coping with grief and loss are described.

When a Child Leaves the Family: Displacement, Disruption and Dissolution
Arleta (2008)In Brothers and Sisters in Adoption: Helping Children Navigate Relationships When New Kids Join the FamilyView Abstract
Discusses reasons that cause adoption disruptions, key considerations when contemplating disruption, and issues experienced by typically developing children during and in the aftermath of an adopted person leaving the family, and suggests answers to questions siblings might have.